With his personal struggles out in the open, Van Ness needed time to heal. He sought solace in his now husband, Mark Peacock, his therapist, and supportive family and friends. “There was a part of me that really needed to be loved and nurtured because it was such an intense kind of process,” Van Ness says. He also found joy in being of service to others, gymnastics, gardening, and binge-watching TV. Lately, his obsession has been Bridgerton. “Last night I cried so fucking hard. I literally had to call Nicola [Coughlan] this morning to make sure that she and [the actor who plays] Eloise are still friends in real life,” he exclaims. The combination of all these tools helped create the space he needed to write Love That Story, which he penned from his home in Austin, Texas.
“I’m randomly a Texan,” Van Ness says with a laugh in between bites of takeout chilaquiles. “I’m hoping to help flip [the state] in the midterms.” His cats and the pandemic were catalysts for the change of scenery. After relocating to Texas in March 2020 to film Queer Eye, Van Ness didn’t want to fly back to New York City during the peak of COVID. So he rented a house, which quickly turned into buying one. A few months later, he decided to marry his husband after just six months together. Suffice to say, Van Ness has been thriving by living in the moment and doing what brings him pure joy.
And he’s worked for it. Growing up in Illinois, Van Ness embraced his femininity, practiced figure skating in his living room, and earned the title of being the first male cheerleader on his high school’s team. After a brief stint at the University of Arizona, Van Ness ended up pivoting to hair, enrolling in the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis. Later he’d work as a personal assistant at Sally Hershberger Salon in Los Angeles and become a hairstylist by trade.
His biggest break, however, came in 2018, when he landed a coveted role as one of the “Fab Five” on Netflix’s Queer Eye. Ever since, Van Ness has captivated viewers with his signature, infectious enthusiasm. Beyond the show, that charismatic presence has continued to catapult him to fame. He’s also charmed audiences with his Game of Thrones recap series, Gay of Thrones; his podcast (which is now a Netflix series), Getting Curious; and his sold-out stand-up routines across the nation.
Van Ness envisions a future much like his present, filled with a balancing act of business and entertainment projects, his beauty brand, JVN Hair, and comedy. He wants to keep making TV and telling stories—and has more than a handful of scripted ideas. “I’m growing into flexing my producing chops,” he notes. In the shorter term, he is gunning for a cameo on Bridgerton. “I just want to be an extra. Just let me be in an outfit, let me carry a basket of anything in the background,” he says with an impassioned lilt. In fact, he’ll do it for free. “I’ll pay you, Shondaland!” he pleads.